“I wouldn’t come here, to be
honest.”
That’s
the opening line to a tourism ad from Oslo’s official marketing
agency, VisitOslo. The commercial
follows a native Oslovian around the city as he questions whether Oslo is “even
a city,” while lamenting the area’s walkability and beach access, and
complaining about public amenities.
The
ad has quickly become popular on the internet for its dry humor and reverse
psychology. But, in a busy travel season, full of influencing and endless
social media vacation photos, what’s most refreshing about the new ad is its
rejection of an Instagrammable travel experience in favor of a more authentic
one.
Oslo’s
tourism ad takes an understated approach to its visuals. It appears to be shot
on a handheld camera, and while the locations are aesthetically pleasing, it’s
not trying to hit you with a series of Oslo’s tourist attractions. Some shots
are just pretty streets or a view of the harbor. Taken together, the
videography and scenery convey a city that’s cultured and interesting, yet
serene.
That
sense of simple pleasure is, ironically, amplified by the narrator’s insistence
on pointing out supposed “downsides” to the town: While sitting in a beautiful
restaurant, he describes Oslo as “a village”; he points out that it only takes
30 minutes to walk across town; and while standing in front of Edvard
Munch’s The Scream, he notes that “It’s not exactly the Mona
Lisa.”
The
ad positions Oslo as a place where embracing simple pleasures can be, well,
simple—and where long lines aren’t the barometer for beauty. “Everything is
just so available, you know?” our narrator complains. “There’s no
exclusiveness.”
The
campaign comes at a time when other major European cities are hiking up fees
for tourists, or even actively discouraging them from visiting. The trend,
dubbed "tourismphobia", stems from the
countless issues that accompany annual overcrowding when hordes of visitors flock
to local hot spots. In some cities, tourists have even been caught trespassing
in private homes and on balconies to take photos. Residents in places such as
the Canary Islands and Binibeca, on Spain’s Menorca island, have been
protesting en masse, while cities in Italy, France, and Portugal have
instituted additional monetary fees or fines for tourists.
Oslo,
it seems, is still interested in welcoming visitors this summer—but it has a particular
kind of tourist in mind - responsible tourists, especially those who will
respect local culture and uphold Oslo’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.
From Fast Company
